Silverburn PURE spa to relocate after feeling 'undervalued' as female-owned business

Popular spa and beauty business PURE is to relocate from a Glasgow shopping centre after 16 years of business.

Founder and CEO, Becky Lumsden, said that the decision comes after a tenancy dispute with the current owners of Silverburn shopping centre.

She added that the decision was “taken out of their hands” after it was decided that the unit occupied by PURE Spa was needed to form part of the redevelopment of the old Debenhams store.

“This action, which was finalised in recent weeks, took the decision about whether to extend our tenancy at Silverburn out of our hands, but it is unlikely we could have achieved a deal that would have made a new lease at Silverburn financially viable in the future,” she added.

The founder spoke on the success of the location saying that her team had served over 40,000 clients and performed around 250,000 treatments since opening the business in 2007.

Ms Lumsden said that despite the “instant” success of the spa it has not always been smooth sailing at the location, adding that as a female founded business they have not always felt “valued by the succession of owners who have been our landlords”.

The CEO said that the relocation has led the business to “pivot” away from retail centres from the time being as they are no longer “viable” for businesses like PURE.

“With 20% of the money you pay for treatments going to the Government in VAT, business rates of circa £30,000 per year, rents, centre service charges, electricity, product, laundry, wage costs for our fabulous team, and head office overheads, we cannot make the numbers add up so that we can be sure of covering our costs, let alone making a profit needed to cover our Covid debt repayments going forward,” the statement explained.

Ms Lumsden confirmed that most of the team at Silverburn will be relocating to the PURE spa at the David Lloyd Club in Renfrew, with a few others moving to spa’s on Glasgow’s West Nile Street, The Hilton Glasgow, and David Lloyd Hamilton.

Ms Lumsden confirmed that the final day of trading of PURE at Silverburn will be on February 29, 2024

A spokesperson from Silverburn, said: “It is always sad to lose a brand, especially one that has been here since Silverburn opened.

“Our on-site team and owners have worked hard to support Pure Spa over the years, and we wish Becky and her team all the best as Pure Spa transitions to its new business model.”